Glass reagent bottles clinked softly on the chemical racks as he slid the laboratory deadbolt securely into place.
"Lab 304 looks completely untouched," the First Player whispered, scanning the neat rows of stone workbenches.
"Everything here looks intact and ready for crafting."
He dragged a pair of tables against the reinforced door, wedging the legs firmly against the floor tiles.
"That barricade will buy me several minutes if a roaming pack discovers this room."
"I need to work quickly before more of them arrive."
His enhanced hearing caught the faint scraping of claws navigating the ductwork directly above the central fume hood.
"Three targets creeping through the ceiling vents," he noted, keeping his eyes fixed on the overhead grille.
"They think they have the element of surprise on their side."
He picked up a stool from beneath the workstation, testing its balance with a calm, predatory smile.
"Let's see who ambushes whom today."
"Come down into the open, mutts!"
The overhead vent grate rattled violently before snapping loose from its screws, dropping downward with a loud clatter.
The first juvenile Gobdog tumbled through the opening, landing awkwardly on the chemical workbench with bared fangs.
"Welcome to chemistry class, ugly!"
The First Player swung the stool in a savage arc, smashing the legs squarely across the creature's snout.
The beast squealed in agony as its nasal bones shattered, sending dark blood splattering across the ceramic sink.
"Did you really think I wouldn't hear you crawling up there?"
Before it could recover its footing, he drove his sharpened rod straight through its exposed ear canal with ruthless precision.
[ Hostile Neutralized: Juvenile Gobdog (Rank F) | Experience Value: +10 EXP ]
[ Current Level: 1 (EXP: 60/100) ]
"One down... two more waiting in the duct," he whispered, stepping lightly to the side of the fume hood.
"Are you cowards going to jump or should I drag you down?"
The second hound leaped from the ceiling with claws outstretched, attempting to tackle him from above.
"Too predictable, little monster!"
The youth pivoted on his heel, catching the falling beast by its ragged scruff and slamming its spine against the table edge.
A loud sickening crack echoed through the laboratory as the creature's vertebrae snapped across the countertop.
"Stay down on the floor!" he hissed, delivering a crushing punch to its throat that silenced its frantic whimpering forever.
[ Hostile Neutralized: Juvenile Gobdog (Rank F) | Experience Value: +10 EXP ]
[ Current Level: 1 (EXP: 70/100) ]
"Two down... only one left in the ceiling."
The third beast poked its snarling head out of the ventilation shaft, hesitating as it saw its dead packmates.
"Come down and join the party," the dark-haired youth taunted, tossing a glass beaker at the vent opening.
"Don't be shy, little monster!"
"Grrrr—!" the hound growled, baring triple rows of yellow teeth.
The glass shattered against the rim, showering the creature with shards and provoking an enraged, reckless lunge.
The hound dropped straight toward his chest with jaws snapping in a frenzy of desperate territorial aggression.
"Die like the rest of your pack!"
The First Player did not flinch, thrusting the pointed rod upward with all fourteen points of raw Strength.
The pointed rod impaled the leaping predator through the center of its chest, punching through the heart and lungs in one thrust.
The dying beast convulsed violently on the shaft, dark ichor running down the rod before splashing onto his hands.
"That makes three clean kills," he said, shaking the dead weight off his makeshift weapon.
[ Hostile Neutralized: Juvenile Gobdog (Rank F) | Experience Value: +10 EXP ]
[ Subzone Quest Update: 3x Hostiles Cleared | Remaining Signatures: 55 ]
[ Total Experience Reached: 100/100 ]
[ Congratulations! You have achieved Level 2! ]
[ Stat Points Awarded: 5 Free Attribute Points ]
A surge of radiant energy flooded his cardiovascular system, completely washing away all accumulated fatigue and physical strain.
The shallow claw scratches on his left forearm sealed shut, leaving only faint silver lines across his skin.
"Full health restoration upon leveling up?" he murmured with immense satisfaction, flexing his rejuvenated fingers.
"That is an unbelievable advantage in prolonged combat situations."
"Let's see what my status sheet looks like now."
He summoned his status screen to inspect his newly available attribute points floating in the glowing blue frame.
[ Current Status: Nox | Level: 2 (EXP: 0/200) ]
[ Strength: 14 | Agility: 13 | Endurance: 13 | Perception: 10 ]
[ Unallocated Attribute Points Available: 5 ]
"Five points ready to be distributed," he whispered, examining the four core physical attributes.
"Should I maximize Strength or balance my speed and senses?"
"Let's reinforce physical damage, speed, and sensory awareness," he decided, tapping the interface with deliberate focus.
He allocated two points into Strength, two points into Agility, and one point into Perception to heighten his reflexes.
[ Allocation Confirmed: Strength +2 | Agility +2 | Perception +1 ]
[ Updated Attributes: Strength: 16 | Agility: 15 | Endurance: 13 | Perception: 11 ]
[ Vitality Reserve: 150/150 HP | Stamina Reserve: 150/150 SP | Mana Reserve: 110/110 MP ]
A tingling warmth radiated behind his eyes and temples, expanding his sensory awareness to an astonishing degree.
He could clearly hear the faint hum of fluorescent bulbs three classrooms away and the distinct pulse of mana currents.
"My perception allows me to track mana signatures through solid walls," he whispered, admiring the heightened clarity.
"I can hear the heartbeats of survivors huddled in the cafeteria downstairs."
"Let's check the hazardous materials storage."
He walked over to the locked hazardous materials cabinet at the back of the room, examining the reinforced glass panel.
"Let's see what kind of lethal chemicals the science department has in stock."
With sixteen points of Strength, he gripped the latch and ripped the locked cabinet door off its hinges with ease.
"Locked doors don't mean much with sixteen points of Strength," he chuckled, setting the mangled door aside.
Inside rested dozens of amber glass bottles filled with concentrated hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and pure ammonia solutions.
"Concentrated hydrochloric acid... ninety-eight percent purity," he noted, reading the warning labels with a dark grin.
"And rolls of magnesium ribbon stored in the bottom drawer."
"Four bullets will never be enough to clear fifty-five monsters," he muttered, setting several flasks on the bench.
"I need reusable armor-melting weapons and throwable distraction charges."
"Let's start by forging a proper spear."
He grabbed a dissecting rod from the anatomy supply kit, grinding the tip against a whetstone until it was razor-sharp.
"This point is sharp enough to punch through thick hides."
He carefully mixed the concentrated hydrochloric acid with a thick glycerin binder, creating an adhesive, highly corrosive paste.
"The glycerin keeps the acid from running off the blade," he noted, stirring the bubbling mixture with a glass wand.
He coated the pointed spear tip with the bubbling paste, sealing the volatile chemical compound inside an oilcloth sheath.
[ Item Crafted: Corrosive Acid Spear (Rank F+) | Physical Piercing: +25 | Corrosive Acid Damage: 15/sec for 5 seconds ]
"Now that is a lethal close-quarters weapon," the youth whispered, testing the balance of the balanced rod.
"It will dissolve monster hide on contact."
"Now let's build the flash charges."
Next, he took three small reagent jars, packing them with shredded magnesium ribbon, ammonium nitrate, and match-head igniters.
"Magnesium burns at thousands of degrees with a blinding white flare," he explained to the quiet room.
"Any predator looking at this blast will be blinded instantly."
He attached friction pull-cords to each sealed jar, creating compact chemical flash grenades capable of blinding dimensional predators.
[ Item Crafted: Chemical Flash Grenade x3 (Rank F) | Blinds and deafens targets within 10 meters for 4 seconds ]
"Three flash grenades and an armor-melting spear," the First Player said, attaching the canisters to his tactical belt.
"Now I have a real arsenal for close-quarters combat."
"Let's test the spear on that dead hound's shoulder."
He drew the Corrosive Acid Spear and thrust the tip into the thick hide of the nearest dead Gobdog.
A violent hissing sound erupted as the green paste made contact, instantly liquefying the monster's scales into frothing green foam.
"Look at that corrosive power... it melts through bone in three seconds flat!"
"That will solve my ammunition problems."
He extracted the three Rank F beast cores from the dead hounds on the floor, storing them alongside his previous loot.
[ Inventory Updated: 5x Rank F Beast Cores Stored ]
"Five cores gathered... each one hums with pure mana."
"I wonder how much these will trade for once human markets emerge?"
A massive seismic tremor suddenly rippled through the floor, knocking glass beakers off the countertops with a loud crash.
The acoustic ceiling vibrated as a deep, reverberating roar echoed from the central administration tower half a mile away.
"What in the world was that sound?" he whispered, his heightened Perception picking up a terrifyingly dense aura.
"That wasn't a standard Gobdog... that was an elite commander."
The psychic shockwave rattled the windows of Lab 304, carrying the distinct scent of burning sulfur and corrupted blood.
"The dungeon commander is waking up in the clocktower," the youth said, tightening his grip on the newly forged acid spear.
"Fifty-five monsters left to hunt before I face that beast."
"Where should I clear next?"
[ Tactical Radar: Major Hostile Cluster detected outside the Central Cafeteria ]
[ Approximately 60 Civilian Signatures Barricaded in the Food Court ]
"The cafeteria is holding sixty survivors," he noted, securing his pistol in his waistband.
"And a pack of hungry hounds is already gathering outside their doors."
"Let's clear the corridor on the way down."
He dismantled the barricade, pulled the deadbolt back, and stepped into the dim second-floor hallway with his spear ready.
"Keep your senses focused on every shadow."
A lone adult Gobdog was stalking past the biology display cases, sniffing at dried bloodstains on the floor.
"There is my first live test subject," the First Player whispered, dropping into a low combat stance.
"Hey, ugly over here!"
The adult predator spun around, hissing as its bloodshot eyes locked onto the solitary human challenger.
"Come get a taste of this new weapon!"
It lunged with terrifying speed, its jaws snapping wide to sever his collarbone in one bite.
The First Player utilized his fifteen points of Agility, sliding beneath the beast's leap and driving the acid spear upward.
The corrosive point pierced through the monster's belly, and the bubbling chemical paste immediately dissolved its internal organs.
"Hsssk—!" the beast screeched in agony, collapsing onto the tiles as green smoke billowed from its melted abdomen.
"One strike... one instant kill," the youth muttered in awe as the predator dissolved into dark ichor.
"The acid paste performed beyond my highest expectations!"
[ Hostile Neutralized: Adult Gobdog (Rank F+) | Experience Value: +20 EXP ]
[ Subzone Quest Update: 1x Hostile Cleared | Remaining Signatures: 54 ]
[ Current Level: 2 (EXP: 20/200) ]
"That saved another valuable 9mm bullet," he said, wiping the acid spear with a damp rag before sheathing it.
"Let's harvest this sixth core."
He extracted the sixth Rank F beast core, placing the glowing gemstone into his jacket pocket with satisfaction.
"Fifty-four hostiles remaining in the East Wing."
"I should see if there are any other useful materials nearby."
He glanced into the adjacent storage closet, picking up a roll of heavy duct tape and a clean pair of leather work gloves.
"These gloves will protect my hands from accidental acid splashes," he muttered, slipping them onto his fingers.
"Time to see how those entitled student council snobs are holding up in the cafeteria," the First Player muttered.
He descended the central staircase, his senses tracking the chaotic noises echoing from the ground-floor food court below.